Rotary printing-press and folder.



H. F. BECHMAN.

ROTARY PRINTING PRESS AND FOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19, I915.

Patented Sept, 11, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

H. F. BECHMAN.

ROTARY PRINTING PRESS'AND FOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19, I915.

Patented Fjept. 11, 1917.

LQQQQIL 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

QmbM Leooeo W WM NW Q lit ' UNTTED @TATEd PATENT @FFIGE.

HENRY F. BECHMAN, BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 DUPLEX PRINTING PRESS COMPANY, OF BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

ROTARY PRINTING-PRESS AND FOLDER.

LQ MMMT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 13, rear.

Application filed April 19, 1915. Serial No. 22,445.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, HENRY F. BECIIMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Battle Creek, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Printing-Presses and Folders; and I hereby declare that'the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention is a novel improvement in rotary printing resses of the type shown in my application erial No. 719,967, filed September 12, 1912, and is particularly adapted for use with presses using plate cylinders adapted to carry single page tubular plates, although it is also useful in connection with presses having plate cylinders adapted to carry semi-cylindric stereotype plates, or other printing surfaces.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine of large capacity, embodying a novel arrangement of printing mechanisms and folders, whereby if desiredin a press of the size indicated in the drawings-four or more papers may be simultaneously delivered without any angular deflection of the webs, or whereby by deflecting some of the webs a smaller. number of papers of larger size can be simultaneously produced. And in which when operating on straight .line leads the webs passing from certain of the printing mechanisms to their related folders intersect the paths of other webs going from other printing mechanisms to their related folders. The construction is such that all the rinting mechanisms and folders are readi y accessible; and to make a ress of large capacity it is not necesto uild it of great height. he following description of the press illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which is but one embodiment o the invention, will enable others skilled in the art to adopt and use the inventionsand the claims set forth the essential features of construction and combination of parts for which protection is desired.

In said drawin s:

Figure 1 is a dlagrammatic side elevation of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan View of such machine.

The machine illustrated in the drawings has three decks of printing mechanism, each deck being constructed substantially alike, the description of one will apply to all, similar parts being similarly lettered in the drawings.

Each deck in the example shown comprises four sets of rotary printing mechanisms A. B, C, D; the mechanisms A, B, are arranged in a frame or portion M of the main frame, at right angles tovthe mechanisms C, D, which are arranged in a corresponding frame or portion M of the main frame at right angles to frame M. Therefore the lead of the web running through mechanisms A and B is at right angles to the lead of the web running through the mechanisms C, D.

The mechanisms A and B are relatively laterally displaced, mechanism A being adjacent one side of the frame M and mechanism B adjacent the opposite side thereof, the object of such lateral displacement of the printing mechanisms being to enable the mechanisms A and B to simultaneously operate on adjacent portions of the same web. Each printing mechanism preferably consists of plate cylinders 1, 1 and intermediate impression cylinders 2, 2 which may be arranged to operate substantially as shown in my application No. 719,967 aforesaid. In the press shown each plate cylinder is preferab y adapted to carry two single-page tubular plates, but by reason of the laterally displaced 'arrangementof the mechanisms A and B such mechanisms will together print a web four pages wide, which web can be supplied as hereinafter, ex-

, plained; I

. nisms A and-B, and like parts being similarly lettered a detailed explanation thereof is unnecessary. The gearing for driving the cylinders in each printing mechanism is preferably arranged at the inner end thereof as indicated in the drawings, so that tubular plates may be slipped endwise on, or removed from, the plate cylinders by operators at the sides of the press, as described in my aforesaid application.

Suitable means not shown, such for exam ple as illustrated in my application aforesaid or other means well known in the art, are provided whereby the several printing mechanisms in the press may be driven synroe ' known do not require illustration or description.

In line with mechanism A but to one side of and beyond the frame M carrying mechanisms C, D, are folders 3, 3 respectively;.

and in line with the printing mechanisms C and D, but at one side of and beyond the frame M carrying mechanisms A and B are folders 3 and 3 respectively. These folders are of ordinary construction and need no detailed explanation. The folders are so located that webs may be led in a straight line direct from mechanism A to folder 3; from mechanism B to folder 3"; from mechanism C to folder 3; and from mechanism D to folder 3. It will be seen however that the paths of the webs w, w from mechanisms A and C intersect the paths of the webs w '10 from the mechanisms G and D. The folders 3, 3 are located at the outerside of the paths of the webs from mechanisms A and B; and the folders 3 3are located at the outer side of the paths of the webs coming from the mechanisms A and B.

The web for the printing mechanisms A and B may be led in from a roll W at the end of part M of the press, over guides 5, 5, and may be divided at guide 5 by a slitter S of any suitable construction. One-half w of the web is then led back over guides 5, 5 to and between the plate and impression cylinders in the printing mechanism B, and thence led forward past uides 5, 5*, to a uide 5 adjacent the set 0 angle bars, hereinafter described, and over suitable guides 5 5, 5 to the folder 3, as indicated in Fig.

1. The other half e0 of the web W may bedirected from roller 5 past guides 5 5 5 to and between the plate and impression cylinders in mechanism A, and thence led to and past rollers 5, 5 and suitable guides, as 5*, 5, 5 to the folder 3*. Similarly webs may be led to the mechanisms C and D from a roll. W, at the end of the part M of the frame, over suitable guides past a slitter and through said mechanisms and over suitable guides to the roller 5 and folders 3, 3

respectively. The construction and arrangement of the slitter and guides for webs w, w, are similar to those for webs w, w and it is unnecessary to illustrate them in detail as they will be readily understood from Fig. 1 and properly positioned by the press builder.

As thus far described the web printed by each printing mechanism passes in astraight line to the related folder; but in order to divert the webs to enable two or more webs or sections of web to be superimposed or assembled at the same folder to produce papers of different sizes, I provide sets of deflectors or angle bars between the sets of folders and the related printing mechanisms as indicated in the drawings. Each set of angle bars preferably comprises parallel bars 4, 4, 4 (Fig. 2) arranged diagonally of the paths of the webs, and parallel bars 4, 4, 4 also arranged diagonally to the paths of the webs but at right angles to the bars 4, 4, 4. These angle bars or deflectors may be of any suitable kind, and are simply diagrammatically illustrated in the drawings.

By means of these angle bars the web w coming from mechanism A instead of going direct to folder 3 may be given a quarter turn over angle bar 4 and led to folder 3;

or it may be given a quarter turn over angle bar 4 and led to folder 3; or it can be given one quarter turn over angle bar 4 (or 4) and then another quarter turn over angle bar 4 (or 4) and directed to folder 3. Similarly web to? coming from mechanism B may be given a quarter turn over angle bar 4 and directed to folder 23; or given a quarter turn over angle bar 4 and directed to folder 3; or it may be turned over angle bars 4 and 4 (or 4 and 4) and directed to folder 3. It will be seen that the webs w and w coming from mechanisms C and D can also be similarly directed by means of said angle bars to any one of the four folders. Thus with this arrangement of angle bars any web in the press can be directed to any folder in the machine and this enables any or all the webs to be assembled at any desired folder. The printing mechanisms and sets of angle bars should be duplicated for each deck of printing mechanisms in the press, and are so indicated in the drawings.

After passing the first fold rolls of one folder the web might be directed to the ad-' jacent folder; thus the web from folder 3, for example, could be led to the second fold rolls of folder 3, or vice versa; or similarly web from folder 3 could be led to folder 3 and vice versa, as described in my Patent No. 854,142 of May 21, 1907, so as to assemble and deliver the webs from both formers in one paper if desired.

If the plate cylinders in each printing mechanism are only two pages wide and carry but single page tubular plates, each mechanism would print four pages, and in such case the total capacity of any one deck of the machine shown would be sixteen pages; and four separate papers of four pages each could be delivered from one deck of such machine. If two such decks were employed four papers of eight pages each could be delivered simultaneously; if three such decks were used four papers of twelve pages each could be simultaneously delivered. By assembling different webs at different folders by means of the angle bars as described papers of different sizes could inton be simultaneously delivered; and one or more papers of any desired sifie up to the total page capacity of the press could be obtained. It is not necessary to explain in detail all the various kinds and sizes of papers that can be procured from such press, but this will be readily understood by pressmen and those skilled in the art. 7

While I have described the pressin connection with single-page tubular plates it is obvious that other kinds of plate cylinders may be employed; and the capacity of the press can be increased by enlarging the plate cyl1nders or increasing the number of decks. I do not consider the invention restricted to any particular kind of plate cylinder or print ng surface, nor to any particular construction of folding mechanisms per se, or web deflectors or an le bars per 80.

What I claim is:

1. In a printing press the combinat on of a pair of laterally displaced print ng mechanisms, a folder in direct line w1th each printing mechanism adapted to fold the web printed thereby, a second pair of laterally displaced printing mechanisms arranged in a plane at right an les to the plane of the first printing mec anisms, a folder for each of the said printlng mechanisms; said folders and printing mechanisms being so disposed that the paths of webs passing from one set of print ng mechanisms to their related folders intersect the paths of the webs passingfrom the other printing mechanisms to the1r folders.

2. In a printing press, the combination of a pair of laterally displaced prlntmg mechanisms, a folder for each printingmechanism; a secondpair of laterally displaced printing mechanlsms arranged in a plane at right angles to the lane of the first printing mechanisms, a folder for each of the second printing mechan1sms; sa1d folders and printing mechanisms belng so dlsposed that the paths of webs passmg from one set of printing mechanlsms to the1r related folders intersect the paths of the webs passing from the other printing mechanisms to their related folders; with angle bars arranged intermediate the printing mechanisms and the folders whereby the printed webs or web portions may be directed to the same or different folders.

3. In a printing press, the combination of a pair of laterally displaced printing mechanisms, a folder in direct line with each printing mechanism adapted to fold the web printed thereby; a second pair of laterally displaced printingl mechanisms arranged in a plane at rig t an les to the plane of the first printing mec anisms, a folder in direct line with each of the second printing mechanisms; said folders and printing mechanisms being so disposed that the paths of webs passing direct from one set of printing mechanisms to their related folders intersect the paths of the webs led direct from the other printin mechanisms to their folders; with angle ars arranged intermediate the printing mechanisms and the folders whereby the web or any portion of web printed by any rinting mechanism may be directed to any folder.

4:. In a printing press the combination of a printing mechanism and a co-acting folding mechanism arranged in line with but spaced away from the printing mechanism; a second printing mechanism arranged at right angles to the first printing mechanism and located opposite the space between the 'first rinting and folding mechanisms; a co-actlng folding mechanism 1n llne with the second printing mechanism and located at the side of the first print- 1ng mechanism opposite the second printing mechanism, whereby the web from either press may pass direct without any lateral deflection from either printing mechanism to its related folder, the web passing from one printing mechanism to its folder crossing the web passing from the other printing mechanism to its folder.

5. In a printing press the combination of printing mechanism, and folding mechamsm in line with the printing mechanisms but spaced therefrom; a second printing mechanism at right angles to the first printing mechanism, foldin mechanism for the second printing mec anism but spaced therefrom; the respective printing mechanisms and their related folding mechanism being so disposed that one printing mechanism and its related folding mechanism are on opposite sides of the run of the web from the other printing mechanism to its related folding mechanism whereby the webs passing from either printing mechanism to its related folding mechanism crosses the web passing from the other printing mechanism to its related folding mechanism.

6. In a printing press the combination of a printing mechanism and aco-acting folding mechanism arranged in line with but spaced away from the printing mechanism; a second printing mechanism arranged at right angles to the first rinting mechanism and located opposite tlib space between the first printm and folding mechanisms; a co-acting fol ing mechanism in line with the second printin mechanism and located at the side of the rst printing mechanism opposite the second printing mechanism whereby the web from either press may pass direct without any lateral deflection from either, printing mechanism to its related folder, the web passing from one printing mechanism to its folder crossing the web passing from the other printing mechanism to its folder with means 10- cated in the space between the respective printing mechanism and the folding mechanisms whereby the webs from one printing mechanism may be deflected to the folding mechanism for the other printing mecha- 1115111.

7. In a printing press the combination of a printing mechanism and a co-acting folding mechanism arranged in line with but spaced away from the printing mechanism; a second printing mechanism arran ed at right angles to the first printing mec anism and located opposite the space between the first printing and folding mechanisms; a co-acting folding mechanism in line with the second printin mechanism and located at the side of the first printing mechanism opposite the second printing mechanism, whereby the web from either press may pass direct without any lateral deflection from either printing mechanism to its related folder, the web passing from ma am one printing mechanism to its folder erossing the web passing from the other printing mechanism to its folder, with means located in the space between the respective printin mechanisms and the folding mechanlsms whereby the webs from one printing mechanism may be deflected to the folding mechanism for the other printing mechanism with angle bars, located in the space intermediate the printing mechanisms and their respective folding mechanisms whereby the web from. one printing mechanism may be directed to the folding mechanism for the other printing mechanism.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY F. BEOHMAN. Witnesses:

HENRY K. STONE, CHARLES A. GRAMES. 

